Nightmares of the Shadows
by Midnight el Gatito
Summary: A bright light beckoned him. A warm feeling filled him from head to toe, and it felt great. That light was the source of this feeling, and the closer he got, the more the feeling grew...Chap2 up.
1. Chapter 1

_Title:_ Nightmares of The Shadows 

_by_ Kris

_Disclaimer:_ I own nothing, I know nothing. No suey.

_Author's Note:_ I have absolutely _no_ idea where this came from. Maybe a half remembered dream. Perhaps while I was reading that story where Mecha, Espio, and Robo Knux kill everybody but Amy and Tails...you know which one I'm talking about. In any case, I haven't the foggiest where this originated. I'm actually starting to creep myself out, though. I mean, come on. From humor and romance to _this?_ I _really_ scare myself... Ah, well. Rated pretty highfor violence and death scenes. But no worries, folks. All's well that ends well...(smiles mysteriously)

Please review and tell me if I should raise the rating. I don't want to have this deleted, or to hurt any young kids. Thanx. ;)

XX

A bright light beckoned him. A warm feeling filled him from head to toe, and it felt great. That light was the source of this feeling, and the closer he got, the more the feeling grew.

However, years of fighting troublemakers held him back, made him wary. So, while he still followed the light trail, he hung back, watching for anything suspicious.

With a sudden inside snap, he couldn't stop himself. He ran full tilt for the end of this tunnel. He knew, somehow, that once he reached the end of this, he would be free. Free from everything.

But when he reached the end of the tunnel, the light disappeared, as did the warm, fuzzy feeling, leaving him cold and empty. Barren.

This sudden transition, of course, momentarily confused him. But he regained his bearings and found himself in a small, dark, dank, gray room. He knew this only because of a lantern hanging on a nearby nail, shedding its light on things five feet away. Everywhere else was pitch black. No windows, no lights other than the lantern, nothing. Shuddering due to the lack of lighting, he reached for the lantern, lifting it off the nail and waving it about. He saw nothing and decided to investigate. With something like this, something is somewhere.

He decided to walk with the wall close at hand, just to be on the safe side. For a while, the lantern showed nothing but the dreary gray walls, until he stumbled over something. Regaining his feet, he moved the lantern to see what blocked his way- and nearly dropped it in horror.

The unmistakable figure of his friend and long-time rival, Knuckles, blocked him.

Sonic set the lantern on the ground and knelt at Knuckles' side. "Hey, Knux? Yo, Knucklehead?" He poked the Guardian in the back. "Hey, Sleeping Ugly, wake up." He figured the red echidna couldn't resist waking, even from a much-needed sleep, if he knew he had reason to knock Sonic's lights out. But the figure remained still. Sonic muttered something about 'that crazy 'chidna' being able to 'sleep through a hurricane' and rolled the prostrate form over. He reeled back in disgust and horror.

A long thin blade had, sometime ago, impaled the former Guardian's forehead. The owner, however, hadn't seen it fit to retrieve the knife, and so it remained there. His lifeless violet eyes stared up at Sonic. The cobalt hedgehog turned away, holding his stomach.

After his body rid itself of his lunch, Sonic wiped his mouth with the back of a glove stained with Knuckles' blood. He bent to retrieve the lantern and stole a glance at the body. Unsure if the murderer was still around, he reached over and (not without an ugly grimace, mind you) pulled the knife out. After he removed the weapon, he stood there for a long moment, just staring in unbelief. _Knuckles is the strong one. How could this happen?_

The Guardian did not allow anyone too close. Exactly why, only he knew. But everyone guessed the main truth: it was to protect himself, so if anyone he knew got hurt or killed, he would remain unaffected. Unfortunately, (or fortunately, depends on your perspective) it hadn't quite worked out that way. He and Sonic, despite early rivalries, became friends, and the ruby echidna had come to look upon Tails as a younger brother, albeit one with a huge IQ, which unnerved him from time to time. And he and Rouge came closer, him taking her out on dates and her introducing him to kissing.

As for Cream...he never came out and said it, but Sonic caught him reading stories to Cream and Cheese. Simple, childish stories to which the Guardian had never been introduced as a child, so the reading thing had a two-way benefit: Cream and Cheese would get a story read to them for only the hundredth and first time, and Knuckles would discover the wonders of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. He seemed to care quite a bit for the cheery rabbit girl, and whenever he came to Station Square, 'Uncle Knux' would have a bag of candy hidden back until he could give it to her. It never ceased to amuse Sonic and Tails.

Shadow gave silent regard to the Guardian whenever they happened to meet. Both seemed fiercely protective of anything and anyone they cared about, which is why they got along without many quarrels. He seemed to regard Amy Rose the same he did Tails: as a little sister who only wanted to see him smile. 'Just one itsy, bitsy smile, Knuckles! Just one!'

He never gave much attention, though, to Midnight, the mysterious black cat that lived with Rouge and her friends. But he always gave her a polite nod, and she would return in kind.

Despite all this, in all his 'uncharacteristic' kindness, all his living and fighting, there were things he'd never experience now. So many things.

_There's so much you haven't done Knux...so much. Getting married, becoming a dad..._ Sonic wiped away the unconscious tears that had gathered in his eyes, threatening to spill over. He took a deep breath and turned away, following the wall again, the lantern in one hand, and the stiletto in the other, ready to slash at anyone that approached. His emerald eyes turned hard as diamond in the faint light. _When I find who did this, Knux, I'll kill them the way they did you..._

XX 

It seemed like hours until Sonic came to a dark brown door, bearing a lion head knocker, which sported bared teeth and a ferocious look. Cautiously opening it, (and giving the knocker strange looks) he then stumbled backwards at the bright light that shone from it. Blinking, he carefully stepped inside, trying to accustom his eyes to the brightness faster.

A shrill scream halted his efforts, and he looked about, searching for the source. Finally gazing upwards, he saw, to his horror, Mecha Sonic holding a sobbing Amy in his claws. "Let her go, you tin can faker!" Sonic yelled.

His metallic counterpart used his new StretchMetal mouth to grin malevolently, and he gave Amy a mock throw. The pink hedgehog screamed again, tears streaming down her face as she looked to her blue hero for help.

Sonic stared helplessly above at the scene. _What can I do?_ He looked around, searching for something that'd give him altitude. But though nearly illuminating on its own, this room gave up nothing more than the other he'd just left. He looked back up at Mecha, praying the robot wouldn't hurt Amy. A sudden thought staggered him. _He must've killed Knux!_ Sonic gritted his teeth as he stared upwards. The robot stared back down at him, his mouth stretching into a sneer.

"I won't let you kill her, too!" Sonic yelled defiantly. "You won't claim another victim!"

Mecha's smirk only grew with each word. "Really? And what are you going to do to stop me? Fly up here?" He laughed tauntingly. Amy Rose clung to Mecha's metallic chest, her eyes clinging just as tight to Sonic. "S-Sonic," she stuttered in fear, "help!"

Mecha looked down at the hedgehog in his arms. "Are you blind as well as stupid?" His gaze moved back to Sonic. "Your precious hero can't save you this time."

Sonic took a step forward, one hand forming into a fist. His emerald eyes snapped in anger as they shot daggers at the sneering metal faker. His mouth curved into a smirk identical to Mecha's, though tinged with anger. "I think you forgot something, _Faker_." He showed his fist to the robot, who stared at the glowing yellow emerald in his grasp. "Let her go," the hedgehog repeated firmly. "Don't make me come and get her."

Mecha's glowing eyes flickered slightly as his gaze moved from Sonic to Amy and back again. His mouth twisted slightly. "All right, then. I guess I have no choice...but to let her go." The smirk appeared again as he looked at Amy. "Farewell, Amy Rose." The words came in a hiss as he flung the terrified girl to the ground.

"No!" Sonic ran to catch her, but even with all his speed, he was too late.

She lay, broken and bloody on the hard floor. Amy gasped slightly as the pain wracked through her body. Her hero knelt beside her, tears of disbelief clouding his vision as he gathered her into his arms. "Amy..." he whispered. The girl moved her head a little to gaze into his eyes.

He swallowed, helplessly watching as blood flowed from a wound in her chest. "Ames..." his voice broke when his eyes met her. Amy tried to smile, her lips wavering slightly. "Sonic...I-I always...loved...you..." Her words became slurred and her eyes closed. A sob wrenched from Sonic's throat. "I love you, too, Amy." He buried his head in her shoulder, the tears spilling onto his cheeks.

Mecha watched this with a grim smile of delight. Sonic looked up, anger flowing through his veins, drying his tears and focusing his eyes upon his enemy. "You," he said in a low voice, the single word sounding like a threat. He laid Amy down gently and got to his feet. His hands fisted, the right one clutching the emerald tightly. "You will die," he muttered, his green eyes flaming bright. "And I'm gonna be the one to kill you."

He held the emerald before him, clutching it tighter. "Chaos Control!" A blur of color attacked Mecha, who screamed and fended off the attacks as best he could. The blur attacked repeatedly, again and again. Finally Mecha, worn out and sizzling sporadically, pulled a Black Shield before Sonic could hit again.

"You're...good..." The robot's eyes blared brighter. "But...not...as good...as...me..." A bolt of light started from Mecha's outstretched finger and hit Sonic square in the stomach. Reeling back, the hedgehog gasped in pain. He collapsed on the floor, feeling every muscle contract painfully.

His mechanical counterpart hovered above, gloating. But the robot's end came. His last words came slowly, as if speaking pained him. "You...thought you...won...but you...were...wrong." The last words became slurred, and the powerful engine powering him began shutting down. His hover system gave out, sending him to the ground not four feet from Sonic's feet. The red eyes flashed slightly, daring death to come, then blinked off.

Sonic stood silently, wincing slightly at the lingering pain, staring at the head of his dead nemesis. _It's time..._ Bending down, he buried the knife in the hunk of metal, and then picked it up. He stared into the optical ports, where the 'eyes' were located. "This is for Knuckles." Grunting with effort, he chunked it far across the room.

Feeling somewhat better, he slowly approached the head again. As last time, he held it in both hands and stared into the eyes. "And _this_ is for Amy!" He threw it at the opposite wall.

Staggering toward Amy's body, he looked at the innocent pink hedgehog. But for the blood, she could be asleep, dreaming peacefully. He fell to the floor, gathering her body to him again, and let his tears wash away the blood drying on his fur.

In his grief, he did not see Mecha's head roll right _through_ the wall...

XX 

(laughs nervously) Um...what can I say? R&R?

Amy Fans: BOO! (throw tomatoes)

Knuckles Fans: Boo! Down with Midnight! (throw grapes)

(dodges fruit) No, no, you don't understand! It's just a- (gets hit in the face by a tomato) Aw, forget it. You can just wait until next chapter. (storms off the stage)

Catrina: (peeks out from the sidelines) Don't worry, guys. Everything's gonna be just fine. Trust me.


	2. Just A Dream?

_Title:_ Nightmares of The Shadows: Chapter 2 

_by_ Kris, a.k.a. Midnight el Gatito 

_Disclaimer:_ Yo, look, people: the only thing I own here is Midnight the Cat, this story, and my clothes. A'ight? 

_Author's Note:_ (sticks her tounge out) Nyah! Now you Knux and/or Amy fans shall see what I was talking about! (mutters) Impatient little... 

Zoewolf: glare Just show me the story... 

; Um...heh...O.O;;; So...here's chapter Two! Heh...heh... 

XX 

Tails jolted awake. Confused and not understanding what woke him, he laid still, listening for whatever it was. He usually slept heavily, so it must've been something really out of the ordinary. 

Then he heard it again. Sobbing... 

Even more confused, he threw the covers off and bolted from the bed. He went for the door, which opened at his touch. 

In the hallway connecting the bedrooms, a bleary-eyed Shadow cast the fox boy a questioning look. 

"What's wrong?" Tails gasped out. 

The black hedgehog shrugged, just as confused. "I thought you might've been having the nightmares again..." He glanced at Sonic's door. 

Tails followed his gaze. He silently walked over and pushed the door open. 

Nothing could've prepared him for the sight awaiting him. Sonic sat on his unmade bed, his red-rimmed eyes focusing on nothing. He rocked back and forth, his arms holding his knees close to his chest in an upright fetal position. He gave no recognition of the fact that Tails and now Shadow had entered his room. 

Tails stared at his hero. Sonic the Hedgehog, super hero, all-around great guy. The guy who had it all together, cool, calm and collected...bawling his eyes out? It defied the laws of nature. 

The two standing at the door could hear some of the hedgehog's ramblings. "...too late...I was...too late...couldn't save her...Amy..." His emerald eyes suddenly switched to Shadow, focusing on him eerily. "I have to do better this time," he stated, suddenly coherent, almost decisively, seeming to have gleaned something from his study of the other hedgehog. 

Without warning, he bolted from his bed and through the open door. Tails gaped at his retreating form before following, Shadow close behind. 

They found him in the kitchen, perched precariously on a stool, phone in hand and frantically pushing numbers. 

"Hello? May I speak to Amy? Huh? Oh, it's Sonic." He waited for a moment before speaking again. "Amy? Hey, it's-" He jerked the phone away from his ear, and even from his position a few feet away, Tails heard Amy squeal. 

A barely disguised chuckle erupted from Shadow, now wide-awake. Sonic shot him a glare before holding the phone back to his ear. "Amy, settle down. I just wanted to ask if..." The hedgehog paused again. "Uh...would you consider...staying here...for a while?" 

Eyes wide, Tails glanced at Shadow, who stared back, just as stunned. 

"Yeah. Yes, that's what I said." Sonic's cheeks reddened. "Uh, no, not like that. Different rooms. Yeah. Yeah? Uh...OK, I guess we could fit her in. Yeah, Rouge, too. As long as you don't all mind sharing a room." He grinned suddenly. "Really? Awright, see ya tomorrow. Later." 

He put the phone back in the cradle and hopped from his seat. "Now I just gotta get Knux to stay here," he mused, not noticing the incredulous gazes of Tails and Shadow. 

"Amy's going to stay...here?" Shadow asked, jutting one forefinger at the ground. 

Sonic nodded, lost in thought. "Yeah, yeah, just for a while." He squinted, looking at something neither of his housemates could see. "Long enough to make sure." 

"Make sure?" Tails piped up. "Make sure of what?" 

His older brother's gaze switched to him. He studied him, then shook his head. "Nothing, T. Nothing at all..." 

Shadow gave the other hedgehog a long, hard look. "Then why are you inviting Amy to come stay here?" 

Sonic met his gaze. "Do you think she'll be safe here?" he asked, avoiding the question. "Safer than at her house?" 

The black hedgehog's frown deepened. "I suppose. With us here...but why?" 

Sonic fidgeted anxiously; not an unusual action for him, like whenever someone slowed him down. But fidgeting because he had to answer a question seemed alien to his nature. He usually met it head on, acted first, and didn't stop to think. Tails felt something inside clench painfully. 

"Sonic...what is it?" he asked anxiously. 

The blue hedgehog's eyes shifted around the softly lit room. The only light came from the slowly rising sun. The window above the kitchen sink looked to the east at the glorious sunrise, the top decked with blue curtains Amy had brought over a few weeks ago. She'd claimed that the house looked way too much like a bachelor's pad, even if it was one. She'd also roped Cream and Midnight into coming, and the trio of invaders set about cleaning and sprucing up the house. The trio that actually lived there looked on with a mixture of annoyance, bewilderment, then reluctant acceptance. 

The girls had done a great job. Even Sonic had to agree with that sentiment. But this early in the morning, with a sense of doom and gloom hanging over his head, Tails saw only the shadows, the darkness, the uncertainty. 

Sonic still didn't meet either of his friend's eyes. His own came to rest on an apparently interesting part of his foot. Tails looked, just in case, but it was just the same old blue toes. 

"Sonic." The one word caused both Sonic and Tails' eyes to fly to Shadow, who'd spoken. The dark hedgehog gazed at both of them, though mainly Sonic. "What is it? Why do you want Amy to stay here?" 

He didn't say it, but Tails could almost see the words cross his eyes. _Especially when you would've given anything to get away from her yesterday..._

Sonic saw, too. His eyes switched to Tails, then Shadow again. They wandered around toward the window, but came back to Shadow when the other hedgehog snapped his fingers. 

The darker hedgehog shook his head. "Don't try to get out of it. Answer the question." 

Sonic shuffled around a bit, but his eyes never left Shadow's face. "Well, it's just- see, what I mean is-" He sighed heavily. His eyelids covered emerald orbs. 

"I'll tell you," he whispered. His eyes opened and darted to Tails. "But only if Tails leaves the room." 

Tails stiffened, pulling himself to his full height. "Why?" he challenged, offended. "Why can't I hear?" 

Sonic met his gaze firmly. "There is no way I'm gonna tell you this," he said, his tone ungiving. "It's too much." His eyes closed again, but not before Tails caught a glimpse of pain behind them. 

Shadow hesitantly laid a hand on Tails' shoulder. "Maybe...maybe you should leave." He bent down to look at Tails directly. "OK?" 

He didn't need to say it, but the fox heard loud and clear; whatever it was had made Sonic incredibly upset, to the point that he invited Amy to stay in a room next to his. What made Tails think he could take it any better? 

He nodded reluctantly. "OK, I guess." He looked between Sonic and Shadow, then slowly shuffled back to his room. 

Sonic opened his eyes again and stared out the window. "Is it safe?" 

Shadow crept to the kitchen door and pushed it open. There wasn't any sign of Tails listening in. He went back into the room and nodded. "Safe." 

Sonic sighed heavily. He ran his bare fingers through his spines in an unmistakable sign of distress. "As you already know," he began, "it's about Amy...and Knuckles." 

He ran through the entire account without looking at Shadow. He ended the story and glanced at him now. 

The other hedgehog's tan muzzle had faded into a milky white color, close to the color of the tips of Tails' namesakes. His grip on the edge of the counter turned his ungloved knuckles white, even under the blanket of black fur. And his eyes were closed- shut against the horror of Sonic's words, against what might happen. 

Sonic nodded to himself. "You see, now," he said. "You see I have to do whatever I can to save them. I won't let them die again. Once is enough..." He stared into Shadow's opened eyes. "Twice is torture." 

Taking a deep breath, Shadow did not even attempt to release his grip. He exhaled forcefully. "What can I do to help?" he asked quietly. 

XX 

MwaHA! Do you understand now? Sonic must stop Mecha from destroying his friends. 

But wait, wasn't it all just a dream? Perhaps...but then, fact often follows fiction...:evillaugh: Waitaminute...all of a sudden, I feel like getting Johnathan Frakes' autograph...hmm... 

Shadow: -.-; Suddenly, I feel REEEEALLY bad about all this... 


End file.
